The Croft Primary School

CROFT PRIMARY SCHOOL

Rugeley Road, Armitage, Rugeley, Staffordshire

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CROFT PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 14 th – 15 th October 2002

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CROFT PRIMARY SCHOOL

Short inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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CROFT PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Croft Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Rugeley Road Armitage Rugeley Staffordshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 23 rd March 1998 Croft Primary School - 4

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Team members

23696 J Morris Registered inspector 31718 D Shields Lay inspector 22254 H Callaghan Team inspector

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Team members

Evenlode Associates Ltd 6 Abbey Close Alcester Warwickshire B49 5QW

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Team members

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Croft Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The Croft is in the village of Armitage, near Rugeley and is smaller than most primary schools. There are 164 pupils on roll, including 17 children in the reception class and 70 boys and 77 girls in Years 1 to 6. Nearly all the pupils are white British but four have English as an additional language and this equates to an above average percentage. About 22 per cent of the pupils have special educational needs and this is close to the national average; three per cent have a statement of special educational needs and this is above the national average. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average at just over six per cent. Attainment on entry to the reception class is broadly average, However, there is considerable variation between the different year groups and, in recent years, this has been increased by the pupils who have started at the school in Years 3 to 6.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school with a significant number of very good features. All pupils achieve well. This is because the teaching is good and leadership and management are good. Croft primary school is a welcoming, caring community with a good atmosphere for learning. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Pupils achieve well in relation to their abilities throughout the school. • Pupils have very positive attitudes to school and their behaviour is good. • Teaching and learning are good in English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology (ICT). • Leadership and management by the headteacher and key staff are good. • The school has a very good caring ethos and commitment to social and educational inclusion. • The school has a very good partnership with parents.

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What could be improved

• The provision for the pupils’ personal development, where opportunities are missed to develop the pupils’ awareness and understanding of the world at large. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in March 1998. Improvement has been good overall. There have been good improvements in relation to all of the key issues for action. These included standards in ICT, library provision and reducing the headteacher’s teaching commitment. Most significantly the teaching and learning have improved.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

1999 2000 2001 2001 English B C A A well above average above average A B Mathematics B B A A average below average C D Science B C C C well below average E

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Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

Inspection findings indicate that pupils achieve well throughout the school. Children make good progress in reception and as they move from Year 1 to Year 6. There is clear evidence of pupils making significant gains in the key skills of literacy, numeracy, scientific experimentation and investigation and ICT. Within Croft Primary School - 7 the short inspection timescale, positive indicators were found for most other subjects by, for example, looking at displays around the school and musical performance in assemblies.

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Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

Results achieved by eleven year-olds are always satisfactory, often good and sometimes very good. However, there is some variation in the results of national tests both at the end of Year 6 and the end of Year 2 because of considerable differences in the different groups of pupils. For example, the 17 Year 6 pupils who left the school in July 2002 included eight with special educational needs and this is a statistically small cohort. Analysis of the test results of this year group shows that they were below national average. Nevertheless, their achievement was good because none of them had achieved the higher than expected National Curriculum Level 3 as seven year-olds but four achieved the higher Level 5 in English and mathematics, and five in science, as eleven year-olds. Similarly, pupils currently in Year 2 are likely to achieve above average results this academic year, whereas seven year-olds did not do so well

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Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

in 2000 and 2001. The school’s results improved in line with the national trend of improvement between 1997 and 2001. The school is successful in meeting the realistic targets it sets for eleven year-olds in English, mathematics and science.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils have very positive attitudes to school. They are enthusiastic and hard- working. They are attentive and express opinions and ask questions confidently.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour in lessons and around the school is good overall and for many pupils it is very good. Staff deal very effectively with any minor incidents in the classroom and ensure that learning is not disrupted.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Pupils’ personal development is good overall. The older pupils are responsible and reliable. Relationships between pupils and adults and among pupils are very good.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good. Attendance is above average, punctuality is good and lessons start promptly.

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Quality of teaching Good Good Good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Teaching and learning are good throughout the school. Lessons were seen in the reception class, English, mathematics, science and ICT. English and mathematics and the key skills of literacy and numeracy are taught well. The teaching of ICT is much improved since the previous inspection. No unsatisfactory teaching was seen. Evidence from lessons is supported by the examination of pupils’ work in books and on display, school documents and discussions with subject co-ordinators. This evidence indicates that teaching is to a satisfactory or better standard across the curriculum.

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The school meets the needs of different groups of pupils well, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language. Lessons are planned and prepared well and teachers have good knowledge of the National Curriculum and the pupils’ abilities and needs. The school has implemented the national strategies for literacy and numeracy well. The teaching of French in Years 3 to 6 is a good additional element to the teaching. Pupils are nearly always interested and involved in Croft Primary School - 8 lessons and they are keen to learn and work hard. However, some lessons are too long and at times there is too much teacher talk. As a result, some pupils occasionally lose interest. Croft Primary School - 9

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The school provides a good range of learning opportunities overall. Statutory requirements are met. There are very good extra-curricular activities, particularly for the older pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs The school makes good provision for pupils with special educational needs. National requirements and guidance are followed and good provision is made in the classroom.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language The small number of pupils with English as an additional language makes good progress in acquiring and developing their skills in English. This is because the school has a good understanding and awareness of their needs and makes good use of outside support, although it receives no additional funding for these pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Satisfactory overall. Provision for the pupils’ moral and social development is good. Provision for the pupils’ spiritual and cultural development is satisfactory but some opportunities are missed to promote their awareness and understanding of the world at large.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school has a very caring ethos. Procedures for health and safety and pupils’ welfare are very effective. There are good procedures for academic assessment.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good and improving. The headteacher provides strong and effective leadership. The school aims and values are firmly grounded in a clear commitment to social and educational inclusion and are evident in daily practice. The leadership group, including the very new deputy headteacher, manages the school well and is rapidly developing very effective systems.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good overall. The school benefits from a committed governing body with a large number of members and particularly effective participation by parents. Governors have a good understanding of what the school does well.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good and improving. The school analyses pupils’ performance in comparison with national and similar schools. Subject leaders have good opportunities to observe lessons and they examine their colleagues’ planning and pupils’ work.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school makes good use of available funding, including specific grants and funding, for example, for pupils with special educational needs and to develop its provision for ICT. Effective use is made of the available staffing, accommodation and learning resources, which are good overall.

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Aspect Comment

The school applies the principles of best value satisfactorily. Croft Primary School - 10

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Of those parents who responded, 95 per cent or more think that: • their child likes school; • the school is well managed and led; • the staff are approachable; • the school helps their children become more mature and responsible; • their child is making good progress; • behaviour is good. Of those parents who responded, more than 10 per cent think that: • their child does not get the right amount of homework; • they are not well informed about their child’s progress; • the school does not work closely with them.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with the parents’ positive views and finds no significant evidence to support the concerns raise by some of them. Croft Primary School - 11

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Pupils achieve well in relation to their abilities throughout the school.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

1. Pupils achieve well throughout the school. The main factors in pupils making significant progress throughout the school, particularly in English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology (ICT) are the good quality teaching and effective leadership.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

2. Results achieved by eleven year-olds are always satisfactory, often good and sometimes very good. However, there is some variation in the results of national tests both at the end of Year 6 and the end of Year 2 because of considerable differences in the different groups of pupils. For example, the 17 Year 6 pupils who left the school in July 2002 included eight with special educational needs (SEN) and this is a statistically small cohort. Analysis of the results they achieved shows that they were below national averages. Nevertheless, the achievement of this group of pupils was good because none of them had achieved the higher than expected National Curriculum Level 3 as seven year-olds but four achieved the higher than expected National Curriculum Level 5 in English and mathematics (and five in science) as eleven year-olds. Furthermore, because there were so few pupils in this group, statistical comparisons should be

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

3. The school’s results improved in line with the national trend of improvement between 1997 and 2001 and good standards have been sustained since the previous inspection. The school is successful in meeting the realistic targets it sets for eleven year-olds in English, mathematics and science.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

4. The current Year 6 pupils are performing at a broadly average level and making good progress. Most significantly, they are developing more sophisticated skills and understanding which will support their learning across the curriculum. For example, they skim and scan text when reading, understand how writing is modified in different contexts such as play scripts and scientific reports and use modern technology to write stories and poems, carry out research and record and interpret data. In English, these pupils have completed work to a satisfactory standard appropriate to their different ability levels in a range of writing, comprehension and grammar tasks. The content in the first few weeks of the school year did not include any significant examples of opportunities to write at length, and the writing seen was weak in terms of the use of imaginative turns of phrase and imagery. However this judgement is based on a short period of time and the

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

new deputy headteacher, who is also co-ordinator for English, has produced a subject action plan which gives a high priority to writing. Pupils have completed a very good amount of work in their mathematics workbooks and are making good progress in, for example, working with very large numbers and understanding the relationships between decimal numbers, fractions and percentages.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

5. The current group of pupils in Year 2 are performing at an above average level in all aspects of English and mathematics. They ask and answers questions well in whole class sessions. All pupils know about authors, illustrators and publishers and that this information can be found on the front cover of most books. The most able pupils are working at a level above expectations for their age, for example readily identifying nine mistakes in a given piece of text. The less able pupils are achieving standards close to national expectations, for example when putting jumbled sentences in order and completing simple written tasks. All pupils are making good progress in addition and subtraction, understanding the properties of two- and three-dimensional shapes and metric measurement. The most able pupils are successfully solving quite challenging problems written in words as well as traditional number sums.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Croft Primary School - 12 6. Throughout the school, pupils’ work is well organised and presented. In science there is a good mix of work including acquiring new facts, writing reports of experiments and investigations and completing worksheets. For example, pupils in Year 6 know that sound involves vibrations, that it can travel through materials like wood and is softened by materials like cotton wool. In Year 2, pupils have made good progress this term in a topic about healthy living and effective use is being made of summary sheets, where the pupils themselves record what they have learnt. All pupils have folders with examples of work completed in ICT. These illustrate the positive impact ICT is having on learning in other subjects such as writing, handling money and data in mathematics, science, geography and history. Standards achieved have improved significantly since the previous inspection and the school has successfully raised the profile of this subject. For example, pupils of

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

different ages have a satisfactory understanding of the key skills of ICT, such as using a mouse to select and move text and presenting text in different ways by changing its colour, size and position.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

7. Within the short inspection timescale, positive indicators were found for most other subjects. Good examples of art and design work were seen for most age groups showing the use of a good range of media and techniques. Some examples showed good use of European art and objects from nature, such as plants, to stimulate and inspire pupils’ creativity. Others showed good links with topics studied in history, such as good quality coloured drawings of Greek urns and highly detailed paintings of people in Tudor times. Pupils in Year 6 have recently made striking Tudor hats in design and technology. Pupils in Year 5 have designed posters to promote care for the environment showing a reasonable understanding of a range of issues. Last year, pupils in Year 6 made and decorated highly individualised clay models of people in action and some of these were very expressive. Pupils in Year 2 have recently designed and made good quality puppets.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

8. In religious education and personal, social and health education, pupils in Year 4 have explored belonging to different groups of people and pupils in Year 3 have written well under the heading, ‘Beat the bully’. Displays related to after school clubs and inter-schools competitions illustrate pupils’ participation in a good range of sporting activities, including mixed gender football and hockey teams. Observations during assemblies and brief incidental observations of music lessons provided some evidence of whole school singing and individual instrument playing that was at least in line with national expectations.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

9. Children make good progress in reception towards the nationally recommended early learning goals, particularly in language and literacy and mathematical development. The children are developing a genuine love of stories and numbers and this is providing a solid platform for the development of early reading, writing and mathematical skills. For example all children are learning the sounds and names of letters quickly and the more able children are beginning to write and recognise a few simple words. As a class the children count to 10 well and during the inspection many counted back from 10 to 0. At the time of the last inspection concerns were expressed about the youngest children in the reception class. The school no longer caters for very young children so this issue was not investigated.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Pupils have very positive attitudes to school and their behaviour is good.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

10. Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and personal development have been maintained since the previous inspection. All pupils have very positive attitudes to school. These are developed quickly in the reception class with children enjoying school and being attentive to adults. In all lessons, nearly all pupils are enthusiastic and hard-working. They are attentive and express opinions and ask questions confidently. At times this self-confidence is striking, for example, when a young pupil told her teacher she couldn’t do her homework because she had to discuss her party and when an older pupil strongly recommended a restaurant in Rugeley to an inspector.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

11. Behaviour in lessons and around the school is good overall and for many pupils it is very good. Pupils get on with tasks in the classroom, chat sensibly over lunch and play together well in the playground. This is because there are clear expectations of behaviour and good activities are Croft Primary School - 13 provided at playtimes. Staff deal very effectively with any minor incidents in the classroom and ensure that learning is not disrupted.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

12. Pupils’ personal development is good overall. Children in the reception class understand classroom routines and most get on well independently when asked to do so, with some minor disagreements quickly sorted out by the staff. The older pupils, particularly in Years 5 and 6, are responsible and reliable. They are friendly and polite and happily join in with conversations with adults including visitors to the school. Some of these pupils refer to improvements in the library and ICT facilities when asked if they have noticed any changes during their time at the school. Relationships between pupils and adults and among pupils are very good.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

13. Attendance is currently above average and has a positive impact on pupils’ learning. This is because the school has taken effective steps to reduce the very high level of unauthorised absence in 2000/2001, which was due to poor attendance by a very small number of pupils. Punctuality is good. Registration procedures are efficient and effective and provide a prompt start to lessons, both in the morning and the afternoon.

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Teaching and learning are good in English, mathematics, science and information and

14. Teaching and learning are good throughout the school and have improved significantly since the last inspection in 1998. The quality of teaching was good or very good in nearly two-thirds of lessons and no unsatisfactory teaching was seen. Evidence from lessons is supported by the examination of pupils’ work and school documents and discussions with subject co-ordinators. For example, pupils’ work, including printed worksheets, is always marked and teachers use written comments effectively to praise good work and draw attention to important mistakes or misunderstandings. The school meets the needs of different groups of pupils equally well in the classroom. Teachers and support staff are all aware of the needs of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) and English as an additional language (EAL). The school receives no specific funding for pupils with EAL. However, staff liase well with support agencies and during

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Teaching and learning are good in English, mathematics, science and information and

the inspection these pupils were learning well because they were receiving a good level of support.

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Teaching and learning are good in English, mathematics, science and information and

15. English and mathematics and the key skills of literacy and numeracy are taught well. This is because the school has implemented the national strategies for literacy and numeracy to good effect. Lessons are planned in detail with good consideration given to pupils of different abilities in all classes. For example, in a Year 6 numeracy lesson the teacher provided challenging tasks for all pupils and the less able pupils received effective guidance from the teaching assistant. Pupils were highly motivated by this work on handling data. The teacher very effectively explained the importance of the pupils being fully involved in assessing those aspects of the work they understood well and those that they needed to do more work on. In a Year 2 literacy lesson all pupils made very significant gains in learning about sentence structure, spelling and punctuation because they were given challenging activities that were well-matched to their different needs.

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Teaching and learning are good in English, mathematics, science and information and

Similarly, in a numeracy lesson, the Year 2 pupils made significant gains in addition and subtraction activities. The most able pupils were successfully encouraged to solve more complex problems on their own and the less able pupils were provided with appropriate adult support.

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Teaching and learning are good in English, mathematics, science and information and

16. Evidence indicates that teaching is to a satisfactory or better standard across the curriculum. From a small number of lesson observations and examination of pupils’ work throughout the school, teaching is much improved in ICT. Very good use is made of the ICT suite with every class having one or two lessons every week and satisfactory use is made of classroom computers. A good range of ICT skills are being taught throughout the school. By Year 6, these include word processing different texts, interpreting mathematical data, using the Internet for research in science, geography and history and simulating traffic light control. The teaching of French in Years 3 to 6 is a good additional element to the teaching. Croft Primary School - 14 17. Pupils are nearly always interested and involved in lessons and they are keen to learn and work hard. However, some lessons are too long, exceeding the recommendations in the national literacy

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Teaching and learning are good in English, mathematics, science and information and

and numeracy strategies or expecting pupils to maintain interest and concentration on a scientific activity for a whole afternoon. In some lessons, there is too much teacher talk with insufficient pupil involvement in whole class activities. As a result, some pupils occasionally lose interest.

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Teaching and learning are good in English, mathematics, science and information and

18. Teaching in the reception class is good and is planned well in accordance with nationally recommended early learning goals. The children are developing good attitudes to learning and are beginning to co-operate with each other and play well independently. They benefit from a high level of adult support and good quality input, particularly in terms of the key skills of language and literacy and mathematics. Whole class sessions are characterised by clear explanations and good opportunities for the children to contribute. A good range of activities are provided in all lessons and the classroom is very well organised and presented. Adult led activities are modified well to provide appropriate challenges to children of different abilities. There are good facilities for outdoor play and these are used daily. The teacher is experienced with young children but she is new to current practice in the foundation stage and day-to-day assessment and recording is not

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Teaching and learning are good in English, mathematics, science and information and

Leadership and management by the headteacher and key staff are good.

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Teaching and learning are good in English, mathematics, science and information and

19. The headteacher provides strong and effective leadership. She is a model of commitment and professionalism. The headteacher’s teaching commitment was judged to be excessive in the previous report. The current headteacher was deputy headteacher at the time of the last inspection and when she was promoted she initially continued with the previous teaching commitment. This has now been appropriately reduced and she has a similar amount of time to most other primary school headteachers for management tasks. Nevertheless, she has maintained a high profile around the school, taking assemblies and playground duties and keeping herself fully informed of what goes on in the classrooms.

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Teaching and learning are good in English, mathematics, science and information and

20. The senior management team provides good leadership and management to the work of the school as a whole and liases closely with the governing body. The leadership group includes the headteacher, the recently appointed deputy headteacher and the infant and junior department co- ordinators. They are rapidly developing very effective systems for school self-evaluation and improvement. The school benefits from the work of its committed governing body which has a large number of members who meet frequently, either as a full body or in their properly constituted and recorded sub-committees. The governors have a good understanding of what the school does well and the involvement of parent governors is very good. Governors predict that the appointment of the new deputy headteacher, with a teaching responsibility in Year 2, will result in higher and more consistent standards, particularly in the infants.

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Teaching and learning are good in English, mathematics, science and information and

21. The school analyses pupils’ performance in comparison with national and similar schools and there are good assessment procedures, particularly in English, mathematics and science. The formal arrangements for performance management of teachers have been affected by a period of change in senior staff. The school development plan is good and together with individual subject action plans, for example in English and ICT, identifies appropriate priorities and targets. Subject leaders are effective in their roles, have good opportunities to observe lessons and examine their colleagues’ planning and pupils’ work.

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Teaching and learning are good in English, mathematics, science and information and

22. The school makes good use of available funding, including specific grants and funding, for example, for pupils with SEN and to develop its provision for ICT. Staffing, accommodation and learning resources are good overall. There have been significant improvements in resources since the previous inspection, particular in the library provision, in both the infant and junior departments, and in ICT. Commitment by staff and parents to the school is epitomised by a group of them re- organising the reception classroom and decorating the infant toilets and corridor in the summer. Croft Primary School - 15 The school has a very good caring ethos and commitment to social and educational inclusion.

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Teaching and learning are good in English, mathematics, science and information and

23. The school aims and values are firmly grounded in a clear commitment to social and educational inclusion. They are evident in daily practice. The percentage of pupils with a statement of SEN has increased in recent years and the school is effectively meeting the needs of these pupils and those with EAL. This is achieved by the good use of available funding and support from outside agencies to develop staff skills and the effective implementation of the national code of practice for pupils with SEN. Teachers are meeting the needs of more able pupils more effectively than at the time of the last inspection. Consequently, these pupils are making more consistent progress, particularly in the infants.

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Teaching and learning are good in English, mathematics, science and information and

24. Procedures to promote and ensure the pupils’ welfare and their health and safety are very good. There is real sense of community in the school with classroom staff, lunchtime and playground staff, governors and parents all working together as a strong team. There has been good improvement since the previous inspection in this aspect of the school’s work, which was previously judged to be good.

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Teaching and learning are good in English, mathematics, science and information and

The school has a very good partnership with parents.

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Teaching and learning are good in English, mathematics, science and information and

25. The school has a very good partnership with parents and this is stronger than previously reported. Most parents expressed very positive views of the work of the school, opportunities for them to get involved and the quality of information they receive about the school and their children’s progress. Parents speak very highly of the approachability of all the staff and the headteacher specifically, who one parent said, “will make time at the drop of a pin to see you anytime including weekends”.

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Teaching and learning are good in English, mathematics, science and information and

26. The inspection team agrees with these views. The home-school agreement enables parents to know what is expected of them. There are good opportunities for parents to get involved in the life of the school and their children’s learning as classroom helpers and governors, by attending special events or by helping on educational visits. There are opportunities for parents to meet teachers formally every term and there are half-termly newsletters. There are informative parent notice- boards in the school. The governors’ annual report meets requirements and one parent, for example, said that it is, “useful to learn what the governing body is planning to do for school improvement”. The school prospectus is informative and the separate early years prospectus has helped some parents when choosing the school for their child. The arrangements for homework are at least satisfactory but it was not possible during the inspection to explore this in great detail.

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Teaching and learning are good in English, mathematics, science and information and

Pupil reports are good overall, providing a clear picture of what pupils know and can do and what progress they have made, particularly in English, mathematics, science and ICT. The school benefits from the work of an active parents, teachers and friends association. Inspectors found no significant evidence to support the concerns of a small number of parents about the provision of homework, the information they receive or the way the school works with them. Croft Primary School - 16

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The provision for the pupils’ personal development, where opportunities are missed to develop

the pupils’ awareness and understanding of the world at large.

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The provision for the pupils’ personal development, where opportunities are missed to develop

27. The school makes good provision for the pupils’ moral and social development. Provision for the pupils’ spiritual and cultural development is satisfactory. The relationships between adults and pupils are based on high expectations of work and behaviour. The school teaches right from wrong and school and class rules are displayed around the school. Positive relationships between adults and pupils and among the pupils themselves are very successfully promoted throughout the school day and the very good extra-curricular activities, particularly in sports. The idea of healthy competition is encouraged through these activities and the system of houses and points. Assemblies meet requirements, promote Christian values and include opportunities for collective worship, individual quiet reflection and to develop some understanding of the celebrations of other faiths such as Diwali. Good use has been made of Moslem and Hindhu parents to talk to the

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The provision for the pupils’ personal development, where opportunities are missed to develop

children and visits have been made to the Mosque in Burton-on-Trent.

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The provision for the pupils’ personal development, where opportunities are missed to develop

28. However, this provision, particularly for spiritual and cultural development, is not planned or delivered in a structured, systematic and rigorous way. The school’s policies for personal, social and health education and citizenship and spiritual, moral, social and cultural development lack clarity and detail. Opportunities are missed to maximise pupils’ personal development and develop their awareness and understanding of the pluralist nature of modern society. Although good examples of artwork are referred to elsewhere in this report, none of the work seen provided evidence of pupils being made aware of, or producing work inspired by, famous artists or styles other than European. There are limited opportunities for the pupils to take on responsibilities, for example through membership of a school council. Reports to parents rarely contain references to personal development.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

29. The headteacher and governors should now:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) improve the provision for the pupils’ personal development by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• updating the school’s policies on personal, social and health education and citizenship and spiritual, moral, social and cultural development; • producing clear guidance (in the areas stated in the previous point) for teachers on what they should teach and when they should teach it, using the available National Curriculum materials; • providing more planned opportunities to promote the pupils’ spiritual and cultural development both inside and outside the classroom; • reviewing the class timetables to make time available. Croft Primary School - 17

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of lessons observed 16 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 16

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor Number 0 5 5 6 0 0 0 Percentag e 0 31 31 38 0 0 0

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than six percentage points.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6 Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 0 164 Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 10 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6 Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 5 Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 37

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils Number of pupils with English as an additional language 4

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 12 Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 9

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

% % School data 5.3 School data 1.4 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5 Croft Primary School - 18 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Croft Primary School - 19

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 9 15 24

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 7 7 7 level 2 and above Girls 13 13 12 Total 20 20 19 Percentage of pupils School 83 (95) 83 (86) 79 (90) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 7 8 7 level 2 and above Girls 13 12 11 Total 20 20 18 Percentage of pupils School 83 (90) 83 (90) 75 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 14 15 29

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 13 13 13 level 4 and above Girls 15 14 15 Total 28 27 28 Percentage of pupils School 97 (76) 93 (86) 97 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 12 13 13 level 4 and above Girls 15 14 15 Total 27 27 28 Percentage of pupils School 93 (76) 93 (90) 97 (90) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Croft Primary School - 20 Croft Primary School - 21

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exclusions

White – any other White background 2 0 0

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exclusions

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

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exclusions

Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 0 0 0

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exclusions

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

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exclusions

Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 0 0 0

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exclusions

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

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exclusions

Black or Black British – any other Black background 0 0 0

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exclusions

The table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. It gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. Croft Primary School - 22

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8.2 Financial year 2001/02

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 356,097

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Total number of education support staff 9 Total expenditure 356,841

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Total aggregate hours worked per week 89 Expenditure per pupil 2198

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance brought forward from previous year 44,970

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 4

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 4.5

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0 FTE means full-time equivalent. Croft Primary School - 23

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Percentage of responses in each category

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 50 45 2 2 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 47 48 0 0 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 38 50 14 2 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 42 38 12 3 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 67 30 3 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 62 35 3 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 50 35 12 0 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 65 33 0 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 58 38 3 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 55 36 5 2 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

Please note that the numbers for some questions may not total 100% because of nil responses.

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